England are travelling to another World Cup hoping to bring football home. The Three Lions haven’t won the trophy since 1966, which is also the last time they made the final.
Thomas Tuchel has a bright group of players, who will be looking to make history and end the sixty years of hurt. England made the semi-finals and quarter-finals in their two World Cup tournaments under Gareth Southgate.
Get all the latest England stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the European side here.
England route to the World Cup
England secured their place at the World Cup with games to spare and they did it in style. The Three Lions won all eight of their matches in Group K without conceding a single goal, while they netted 22 of their own.
The stand-out performance in this qualifying group came in Belgrade, where England ran out thumping 5-0 winners over Serbia thanks to goals from Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford.
England World Cup 2026 fixtures
England have learned their fate for the 2026 World Cup group stage. The Three Lions open up their tournament against Croatia, a game which will have no love lost given the history between the two nations.
Ghana, who the Three Lions have faced just once before in a 2011 friendly fixture which ended 1-1, will be next while the group is rounded off with a match against relative minnows Panama. Those two sides met each other at the 2018 World Cup, with England running out 6-1 winners thanks in no small part to a hat-trick from Harry Kane.
READ MORE: Get the latest England World Cup 2026 outright odds here
England key players for World Cup 2026
England top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Harry Kane
- Key stat: Harry Kane is England’s all-time top goalscorer with 78 goals in 112 appearances – 25 goals more than Wayne Rooney, who previously held the record.
Already a golden boot winner at the World Cup in 2018 and one of six players to share the gong at Euro 2024 with three goals, Harry Kane is a certified world-class goalscorer, and he’s in some of the best form of his impressive career so far this season at Bayern Munich, racking up a mightily impressive 28 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions.
England primary playmaker: Declan Rice
- Key stat: Martin Odegaard and Sorba Thomas are the only two players to manage more assists in this World Cup qualifying campaign than Declan Rice’s four.
While the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have struggled for minutes under Thomas Tuchel so far due to injuries, Declan Rice has cemented himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for the German boss. He repaid that faith by creating 16 chances, leading to four assists. He has a deadly set-piece delivery and is enjoying some excellent form in the Premier League this term as Arsenal wrestle themselves into pole position to lift the trophy.
England card magnets & top tacklers: Elliot Anderson
- Key stat: Elliot Anderson averaged 2.7 tackles per 90 minutes during qualifying, making a team-high 11 tackles overall.
Finding the right kind of player to balance out Rice’s all-action style was always a struggle for Gareth Southgate, but Tuchel may have just landed on the perfect foil in Elliot Anderson. The Nottingham Forest man was a tackling machine during qualifying, and while he didn’t pick up any yellow cards in England white, he has been booked three times already in the Premier League this season.
England rising star: Nico O’Reilly
Given the competition for places in this England side, it’s difficult to break into the squad without being an established star. While Jude Bellingham, for example, is still only 22, it would be disingenuous to refer to him as a rising star. Nico O’Reilly, however, has really established himself as a key player for Manchester City this season and was called up to the England squad for the first time for the November internationals. Left-back has been a bit of a problem area for the Three Lions in recent competitions, but at just 20 years old, O’Reilly may already be showing the kind of ability and maturity to nail down that spot as his own.
STAND-OUT STATS: England have drawn more games than any other team in World Cup history with 22.
England set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Harry Kane
- Free kicks: Declan Rice
- Corners: Declan Rice
England tactical analysis and formation
England team stats from qualifying:
- Corners: 60 (4th)
- Shots on target: 7.9 per match (5th)
- Shots conceded: 4.3 per match (2nd)
Thomas Tuchel has gone with a 4-2-3-1 for England in World Cup qualifying, rotating his team regularly as he goes in search of his best eleven, while he’s also had to deal with injuries to key players that have led to some chopping and changing.
Elliot Anderson appears to have forced his way into the starting eleven as Declan Rice’s midfield partner, while the likes of Jordan Pickford, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka are likely to be guaranteed starters if fit.
Get the latest England World Cup goals, shots, tackle, assist stats are more here
England manager analysis
Thomas Tuchel has no previous experience of managing on the international stage, but as a Champions League winner with Chelsea and a title winner in both Germany and France, he does have serious pedigree and is one of the most respected coaches heading to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
It took a little bit of time for the German to get his ideas across to the England squad, but they ended their qualifying group without conceding a goal and performances improved as the campaign progressed.
The stats below are from his current spell in charge of the team.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Tuchel | England | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 3 | 90 |
England World Cup FAQs
Have England ever won the World Cup?
Yes, England won the World Cup for the one and only time in their history in 1966.
Where did England finish in the last World Cup?
England were knocked out of the last World Cup in 2022 at the final eight stage, losing 2-1 to France. The Three Lions emerged from their group as winners thanks to wins over Wales and Iran and beat Senegal 3-0 in the Round of 16 prior to that defeat to les Bleus.
Who will be England captain at the World Cup?
Harry Kane is the England captain, being given the armband ahead of the 2018 World Cup and remaining in the position throughout Gareth Southgate’s spell in charge. Thomas Tuchel has kept the Bayern Munich man in the role since becoming manager.
Who is England’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups
Gary Lineker has scored 10 goals for England at World Cups, more than any other player. Harry Kane is just two goals behind, and will look to break that record this summer.
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